Three ways to adapt your exercise routine for Winter

Most people get seasonal eating. But what about seasonal exercise? You’re probably doing it already…water-skiing in the summertime and snow-skiing in the Winter.

What about the less obvious ways you can adapt your fitness/exercise routine for Winter, otherwise known as Vata season in Ayurveda?

Intentionally changing your exercise routine with the seasons can have a big impact on how you feel and your overall health.

Here are three ways you can start exercising with the season:

1. Go heavy. Winter is an ideal time to add weights to your workout. The heaviness helps balance the light, dry qualities in the air and in your body this time of year.

If weightlifting isn’t your thing, try other activities that add a sense of heaviness. Think of how snowshoeing adds load as you maneuver through snow with extra gear on your feet. You could also wear a heavier pack while hiking.

2. Incorporate activities with more fluid or circular movements, like snowboarding or ice skating.

These bring in a flowy water-like quality that’s missing this time of year, and lends a softness to the harshness of Winter. Swimming is another way to bring more water into your life, if you have access to an indoor pool.

3. Choose moderate to lower-intensity exercise, such as a daily walks, tai chi, or Yin Yoga.

Right now the more quickly you move or intensely you exercise, the more likely you are to exacerbate the dry skin, sleepless nights, and other annoyances that are so common this season.

Wait until late-Winter or early Spring to turn up the volume. You’ll likely get better results.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. My recommendation is that you integrate more weights, , which simply means doing less of the other things for right now.

Rest is also PERFECT for Wintertime. If you’re worried that you’re somehow “behind” because you haven’t started a new routine this year, give yourself permission to rest. It’s absolutely seasonal!

I talk about this and more in my interview with Shanté Cofield in her Maestro on the Mic Podcast. Listen to the whole conversation here.